Reciprocating slat conveyors are used in various types of installations and may be mounted on different kinds of structures. One example of a structure into which a reciprocating slat conveyor may be incorporated is a trailer. Reciprocating slat conveyors are typically mounted on an existing trailer or other structure, rather than being manufactured together with the structure itself as an original part of the structure. Therefore, it is desirable for a conveyor to be relatively easy to mount onto a structure and have some flexibility in adjusting to variations in the dimensioning of the structure. Ease and flexibility in mounting is preferably accomplished while also achieving and/or maintaining compactness and strength in the drive assembly of the conveyor.
Drive frame assemblies for reciprocating slat conveyors are disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,467, granted Dec. 15, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,893, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,894, both granted Jun. 7, 1988; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,868, granted Apr. 18, 1989. Each of these patents shows an assembly having opposite end frame members to which the opposite ends of drive units are secured. The use of ball blocks that receive the ball ends of drive units to mount the drive units onto drive frame members is illustrated in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,783, granted Apr. 4, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,389, granted Nov. 13, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,356, granted Mar. 17, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,502, granted Jun. 30, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,524, granted Nov. 24, 1992; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,661, granted Mar. 16, 1993.